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Publication date: 24 April 2019

Jenna Mittelmeier, Divya Jindal-Snape, Bart Rienties, Kate Yue Zhang and Doris Yakun Chen

Supervisors and other academic staff can provide PhD students with invaluable professional support and opportunities for advancing their careers. This stems from the strong…

Abstract

Supervisors and other academic staff can provide PhD students with invaluable professional support and opportunities for advancing their careers. This stems from the strong academic and networking provisions often offered to PhD students by nature of the supervisory mentorship. Although this professional relationship is highly beneficial in itself, many PhD students also wish to develop social and more personal friendships with their supervisors, in addition to academic connections. In this way, PhD students may seek a space to comfortably share their personal lives, identities, and experiences with supervisors and develop a working and personal relationship that extends beyond their doctoral program.

In order to better support how and why PhD students build social and personal relationships with their supervisors, this chapter draws upon evidence from an international collaboration across three institutions in the United Kingdom and China related to doctoral students’ social transition experiences. Building on our experience using an innovative mixed method combination of social network analysis, longitudinal diaries, blogs, and in-depth interviews, we explore the complex, dynamic, and, at times, turbulent social relationships between PhD students and supervisors. Specifically, this chapter provides tips for PhD students to manage and maintain social relationships with their supervisors in order to build lasting connections. This includes advice for establishing personal acquaintanceships between students and supervisors and bridging the gap from supervisor to colleague to friend. Altogether, readers will consider actionable steps for developing socially meaningful and sincere relationships with supervisors or other mentors.

Details

Getting the Most Out of Your Doctorate
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-905-2

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Article
Publication date: 1 December 2006

Divya Jindal‐Snape and Jonathan B. Snape

This study seeks to explore the perceptions of scientists regarding the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that motivate them and the role of management in enhancing and maintaining…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study seeks to explore the perceptions of scientists regarding the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that motivate them and the role of management in enhancing and maintaining motivation with the purpose of identifying practical recommendations for managers to improve the productivity of scientists.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 18 semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with randomly selected (stratified sampling) scientists working at a government research institute in the UK.

Findings

The scientists interviewed were typically motivated by the ability to do high quality, curiosity‐driven research and de‐motivated by lack of feedback from management, difficulty in collaborating with colleagues and constant review and change. Extrinsic motivators such as salaries, incentive schemes and prospects for promotion were not considered as motivating factors by most scientists. Promotion was not a motivator for most of the scientists and many thought that they would never get promoted again. Efforts should be focused on addressing the hygiene factors (i.e. removing the negatives) rather than introducing new incentives.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size was relatively small (18) and a larger study will be required in order for comparisons to be made with scientists employed in industry or universities.

Practical implications

The results from this study suggest that the current incentivisation schemes based on financial rewards have little impact, and that alternative methods of motivating scientists should be considered. Rewards that may be more highly valued could include, time and resources to pursue own research interests; funds to attend international conferences and investment in physical resources (e.g. laboratory refurbishment, new equipment, etc.). The recommendations to motivate scientists could be applied to other highly‐trained specialists.

Originality/value

This is the only study that has been conducted with scientists working at a government research institute in the UK. It is important in providing an insight into the motivation of a diverse and under‐researched group of employees.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 44 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

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Book part
Publication date: 24 April 2019

Abstract

Details

Getting the Most Out of Your Doctorate
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-905-2

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